Undercover
by kymbersmith90
Summary: Bella has been crushing on Edward ever since she first saw him in Days Of Our Lives. When she finally gets a chance to meet the actor, things don't quite go the way she had planned.
1. Prologue

**Hi.**

 **Sorry in advance for the long A/N here.**

 **I want to apologise to everyone for being away for so long. Things in my real life changed quite drastically after my 3rd son was born and I fell away from the fandom. I've just started dipping my toes back in and I've been writing plenty too. This is a little something new for you all. It's actually a mashup of two stories I've been working on so if I ever get brave enough, I might just post the first. I'm hoping that by posting this one now, it will inspire me to keep reading and writing.**

 **Readers of TP &TP, you'll be happy to know I've been working on it just recently. I want to have far more of it pre-written before I begin posting again, so as to avoid letting you down anymore. Thank you for sticking with it. **

**This story will post every other week to allow me time to write and study too.**

 **Thanks for reading and Happy New Year to you all.**

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Bella?" Emmett asked for the third time in less than an hour.

"Of course I am, Em. Honestly, do you really expect anyone to recognise me?" Bella turned away from the mirror to face her best friend. "Now, is this straight?" She pointed to the blonde wig, now covering her own dark hair.

"Just about." Emmett gave the wig one final tug to straighten it out before he turned her back to face the mirror once more.

Bella nodded her head in agreement before she took her makeup and began to apply it, much more heavily than she usually would.

Emmett had to hand it to her. She was right. She usually was, but this time, he hadn't been so sure of the outcome of this insane plan. The wig, casual clothing and heavy makeup had completely transformed his best friend into someone almost unrecognisable. Nobody in the building would recognise her and that was exactly what Bella was aiming for.

With a final look over her own reflection, Bella snapped her compact shut and then turned to him.

"Seriously, you're wearing that?" she tsked.

"What's wrong with this? It's Armani," he defended, pulling at his jacket.

"That's exactly what's wrong with it. The whole point is to blend into the crowd. How the hell am I supposed to do _that_ if you're walking around dressed like you belong on the set of _Men In Black_? Go and change into some jeans and a t-shirt. And hurry up."

Emmett sighed to himself before grabbing his suitcase from the floor and heading into the bathroom.

"Yes, Ma'am." He chuckled to himself just as he closed the door. He could hear Bella's shouts of, "and don't call me that," as he stripped out of his jacket, shirt and tie.

When Emmett finally emerged from the bathroom, looking somewhat normal, it was to find Bella sat on the bed, reading something off her phone. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps and absentmindedly scratched at her head.

"How do people wear these things? It's already agitating my scalp and I've not even had it on an hour."

"Well, I did pick it up at a cheap costume shop in town. If you're ever planning to do this again, maybe think about investing in a real wig." Emmett's tone was light, but the look that crossed Bella's face made him groan. "Please tell me you're not thinking of doing this again."

"I don't know yet, Emmett. We've already missed the first day, let's see how this one goes before we talk about the next one. Now, are you ready? I still need to meet Dave and go over the details for this weekend."

"Ready as I'll ever be." Emmett forced a smile as he pulled open the hotel room door for Bella to leave through.

* * *

 **Huge thanks go to Dooba and Duckie for their inspiration and their encouragement.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi.**

 **Thank you all for the wonderful response to the prologue. I definitely didn't expect that. It's nice to see some familiar names popping into my inbox. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this little story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.**

 **I have 2 papers due next week so I thought I'd upload this now instead.**

* * *

When Bella finally made it to the terrace room it was empty, as promised, save for one desk littered with papers, a laptop, and one man behind it. He looked up at the sound of the door swinging open, and stood, quickly attempting to organise his papers before Bella could make it to him. He looked more than a little confused at her attire but quickly brushed it off. He had seen crazier things before doing this job.

"Dave, I assume?" Bella asked, extending her hand to him. Dave took it and gave a firm shake as he nodded his head. "I'm Bella. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me."

"Of course, Bella. Can I call you Bella?" he asked, nervously. It was a somewhat out of place look on the man. He was built like a rugby player, with a physique to rival Emmett's. His broad shoulders led down into a muscular upper body that was barely contained by the t-shirt he was wearing. His jeans were ripped at the knees stretching tightly across his thighs. And his dark hair was cropped short. Bella was almost certain he had played rugby at one point in his life.

"Of course. I'm not keen on the formalities. They make me feel old," Bella chuckled. Dave laughed along nervously. "Thank you so much for accommodating me at such late notice."

"Of course. We're honoured to have you join us. I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding we had at the beginning of our communications. And I'm glad it hasn't coloured your opinion of me, or the business." Dave was gaining more confidence as he spoke.

Emmett could empathise with the guy. He had been rather tongue tied the first time he had met Bella six years ago. Thankfully, she had this strange ability to put people in her presence at ease rather quickly.

"It's no problem at all. I can completely understand why you laughed me off that first day. If I'd remained calm and thought it through a little better we could have avoided all of this. People can claim to be anyone over a telephone."

Dave relaxed a little more as Bella waved off his concerns. Emmett thought the poor guy had probably worried himself silly over their first few interactions. But Bella had a heart of gold, and she forgave easily. He knew she wouldn't judge the guy based upon _just_ their telephone conversations.

"So, what do I do today?" Bella asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Emmett stifled a groan.

"Oh, um…" Dave fiddled for a while on his desk before pulling out a large packet. "I have all the documentation you'll need right here. Nobody besides me knows who you are, so if any of my staff give you any trouble, I've included my number. That way I can sort things out without having to give anything away. The passes will get you into every room and there's an up-to-date and detailed schedule for the rest of the weekend too. We've had to make a few adjustments after a last minute change, but you'll still be able to enjoy the event."

As he was speaking, Bella pulled out four different passes in two different colours. She examined them closely before she found two ID bands and the schedule Dave had spoken about.

"I've put everything down under the names Jane and David Smith," he said, at her confused look. "I figured an alias would probably be best in this situation."

"Thank you. That's very kind of you." Bella smiled, as she slipped one of the ID band onto her left wrist. She passed the next back to Emmett who struggled into his.

"As for the other thing you asked for, I was a little stuck for how to make that happen." Bella's eyes flashed to Dave's at that, worry clear to see. "So, I've told a few white lies. Don't worry," he rushed to reassure her, "I've found a way to make it happen, but I'm not sure how well it will go down when it's all over."

Dave looked genuinely concerned about that, and Emmett quickly stepped in to help. "Don't worry, Mr Mann. I'll clear everything up with the necessary people when it's all over. Yours and your business' reputation won't suffer as a result of this."

"Of course not," Bella hastened to add. "I'll make sure everyone knows it was my idea and you were just helping me out. Thank you so much for all of the trouble you've gone to. It really does mean the world to me."

Bella's smile lit up her face and Dave couldn't help but return it. She was a beautiful young woman, and she had been so down-to-earth and kind during all of their dealings. He truly hoped she would enjoy her weekend with his company.

"Thank you, Bella. It's not every day a guy gets to do this. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything."

"I won't. Thanks again, Dave. I hope we get the chance to speak before I leave." Bella offered her hand once again and Dave took it without a second thought, giving it another firm shake.

With that, she turned and headed for the door out of the room, looping the first pass around her neck and handing its mate to Emmett.

"So, where to first?" Emmett asked, resigned to his fate for the next two days.

"The bar," was Bella's strange reply. "Did you really think I had forgotten about breakfast?" She flashed a cheeky smile at her best friend and he laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the few people milling around the halls.

It happened just as Emmett was finishing his eggs.

Bella had been using a pink highlighter pen to mark up all of the different things she wanted to do over the weekend, and was completely oblivious to the two people approaching them from her left.

Emmett, however, was not.

He tensed ever so slightly as they drew nearer, eyes flicking towards all of the exits to assess the fastest way out of the building, should they need to get away.

"Um, hi," a nervous voice squeaked, and Bella jumped a little in her seat. She quickly capped her pen before turning to the person that had spoken. "Sorry to interrupt, but we saw your pass and just wanted to say hi. I'm Trace and this is Kathleen. We're in the orange room too."

Bella smiled brightly, completely oblivious to Emmett's inner turmoil. "Hi. Thanks for coming to say hello. I'm Jane and this is David." She pointed towards Emmett and shot him look that positively screamed _be nice._ "Would you like to join us?"

Trace and Kathleen accepted the invitation, grabbing some empty chairs from the next table and pulling them up to the one Bella and Emmett were currently occupying. They then excused themselves to grab a cup of coffee. Bella used the time to put away her schedule and pens while Emmett scowled at her over the top of his coffee mug.

"What the hell are you playing at?" he snapped. "Do you want to be found? Is that it?"

"Of course not," Bella scoffed. "I also don't wanna sit in silence all weekend. I think it's safe to assume that if they didn't recognise me at first sight, it's probably not gonna happen."

Emmett didn't look any more assured so Bella reached across the table to place her tiny hand on top of his rather giant one. "Look, Em, I promise I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks this weekend. I just want to have some fun. Can you let me do that?"

Emmett softened at Bella's words and quickly schooled his features as Trace and Kathleen returned from the bar, four cups of coffee between the two of them.

"We thought you guys might need a refill," Kathleen said, placing one mug in front of Bella as Trace placed the other in front of Emmett.

He relaxed a little further into his seat. After all, how bad could two people offering coffee _really_ be?

* * *

 **Once again, huge thanks go to Dooba and Duckie for being the little devils on my shoulder encouraging this.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi.**

 **Thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews. Reading those in between constitutional reformation law was much needed. I wasn't going to get this up so soon but the events that inspired this work started again for 2016, last weekend, so I was inspired to deliver faster. I am really enjoying all of your theories but you guys need to tell me if you want me to tell you when you're right. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.**

* * *

Emmett sighed as the line crept forward slowly. He had been queuing all damned morning and he was already bored. How Bella and her new friends could think this was exciting he had no idea.

"Seriously, is this _all_ we're doing all day?" he moaned again.

"It's been like twenty minutes. What the hell is wrong with you?" Bella snapped.

"Is he not a fan?" Trace asked her.

"Well, he enjoys it. I'm just not sure he's the kind of super fan you need to be to come to an event like this," Bella replied.

"I get that. Barry wasn't interested in coming either. He said it's mainly for women who think they're still teenagers and he couldn't be doing with that all day."

Bella nodded her head in understanding. Emmett had suggested the same thing when she had first put this plan into action. Luckily for her, he was always going to be where she was.

The line in front suddenly shifted and Emmett sent up a quick prayer of thanks. He'd been awake for almost five hours already and he was on edge. Spending all this time queuing was only adding to his already foul mood.

It took another ten minutes of stopping and starting before Emmett finally made it into the hall. It was a large room and a quick survey showed there was only one way in and out to the public. However, Dave had been kind enough to send across some more detailed plans a few weeks back, and Emmett knew there was a hidden entrance behind the stage. If anything happened, that would be his primary way out. With that in mind, he led Bella and her two new friends to the far side of the room. It would still give them a good position to watch the stage from, but it also meant they were close to that hidden exit without much in their way. Emmett was nothing if not a tactician. Bella had still not managed to beat him at chess.

As the girls excitedly settled into their seats, pulling out cameras and mobile phones to take pictures with, Emmett was mentally criticising the seating choices. They were so small it was awkward for his large frame to settle comfortably on. And for such a fancy hotel, they were also incredibly lumpy. He was in for one hell of a long day.

The buzz in the room was increasing with the more people that filed in. Emmett's nerves had settled some. Bella had passed many people in the halls and so far, nobody had recognised her. Yet, he couldn't help but worry that something big was going to happen this weekend.

Bella's excitement was only kicking up with the more people that shuffled into the room and took their seats. This had been at the top of her bucket list for so long and when the opportunity arose, she knew she needed to take it. She also knew that poor Emmett was probably going to give himself a heart attack before the end of the weekend, so she made a mental note to properly thank him when they were on their way back home.

"So, what are you most looking forward to this weekend?" Kathleen asked her.

"Isn't that obvious?" Trace answered for her. "I think we're _all_ looking forward to the same thing here."

The girls laughed together at Trace's words but quickly stopped when one lone figure finally stepped onto the stage.

The noise level in the room quietened instantly as everyone eagerly looked forward to see just who it was. A few groans went around the hall as people recognised Dave's shape, so completely opposite to the one they were expecting.

"Sorry ladies and gentlemen," he began. "Our guest of honour got held up in traffic but I can assure you he's on his way here. It won't be much longer. And we all thank you for your patience."

"Damn," Emmett groaned. "For the amount he's being paid for this gig, you'd think the guy could at least show up on time."

Bella's eyes widened at her friend's rude remark and she quickly reached over to slap him upside his head.

"Be nice," she hissed again, before turning back to Trace and Kathleen. They were both laughing a little at Emmett's display, clearly having heard enough similar comments from their husbands.

"So, where are you from, Jane?" Kathleen asked, steering the conversation in a different direction.

Emmett listened closely as Bella answered Kathleen and Trace's questions with as much truth as she could, without giving away her identity. He knew she hated lying to people, but he also knew she understood her time that weekend would be cut short if she was identified. He only hoped that one day, Bella would be able to tell these ladies the truth about herself.

It was another forty minutes before Dave once again stepped onto the stage. Another long and agonising forty minutes for Emmett, who was already done with this weekend. He just hoped Bella enjoyed herself. That was all that really mattered.

"Sorry for the delay, folks. I've been told that our guest of honour has arrived. He's just making his way over here now. Unfortunately his car hit rush hour traffic, which is why he is running so behind. But don't panic. We promise you'll get the chance to do everything you've booked and paid for this weekend."

A few murmurs of understanding went around the room before someone broke out in a loud squeal. The one voice became two, which quickly became ten as more and more people followed the eyes of the squealing women to the cause of the noise.

There was another figure making its way into the shadows of the stage. And it didn't take a genius to work out who that figure was.

Dave had also been following the eyes of the women that were squealing and managed to turn just in time to shake hands with the man who was currently making his way further into the bright spotlights of the stage. They exchanged a few brief pleasantries, which were too quietly spoken to be caught by the microphone, before Dave turned back to the crowd one final time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your guest of honour has finally arrived. Please give him a huge welcome for his first time in the UK. Mr Edward Cullen."

As Edward made his way fully into the light, the noise in the room became deafening. So much so, Emmett almost fell off of his chair in shock.

Dave quickly handed the microphone over, and Edward raised it gracefully to his mouth, a huge smile lighting up his face.

"Hey. How y'all doing?"

The noise that followed was even worse than the one before.

 _Who knew a thousand women could be so loud?_

* * *

 **I need to come up with more creative ways to thank Dooba and Duckie for being the little cheerleaders in my corner.**

 **Extra special thanks to Tarbecca for recommending this story on the Fic Dive Campfire over on ADF.**

 **And thanks to you guys for reading.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi.**

 **Thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews. I really do love reading your thoughts and theories on where this is going and who Bella is.**

 **Most of you guessed she was at a convention and you're absolutely right. So I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Edward's panel flew past in a haze of questions and laughter.

Bella had formed a slight crush on the guy when she was fourteen. She had accompanied her father to an appointment he had in the USA and while she had been holed up in her hotel room, waiting for him to return, she had binge watched Days Of Our Lives. Her crush on Edward had been her very first crush and it was one that had always lingered. Since then she had followed his career closely, watching as he grew into the actor that was stood on stage before her that day.

Bella was not even slightly ashamed to admit she had missed most of what he'd said that morning. She'd been so dazed by his presence in the room that she'd almost zoned out. Thankfully, Dave had promised to send her a DVD of the convention when it was over so she could watch the panel at a later date.

For the rest of the morning, Bella enjoyed panels with the other guests attending the convention, all the while counting down the hours until she would be called for her photo session with Edward.

Emmett sat back and watched as his best friend bonded with two people she had never met before, over a show they all loved. It was an odd thing to see, but he was happy to note Bella finally seemed to be making genuine friends for the right reasons. It had pained him in the past to watch people suck up to her face, only to stab her in the back the moment she turned away.

He happily spent the rest of his day trailing after Bella and her new friends as they went out for snacks, to the bathroom and then to collect their autographs from some of the other guests in attendance. While Emmett found the entire process far too boring, with far too many queues, he was happy to see that Bella seemed to be having the time of her life.

"So, did you go for the photo op?" Trace asked, as the small group settled into the corner of the bar, drinks and food spread out between them.

"Ugh, thanks for reminding me," Bella groaned pushing her almost full plate away. "There goes my appetite."

"You have to eat something," Emmett scolded, pushing the plate back.

"I'll vomit all over his feet if I eat anything else. I'll wait until it's over." Emmett rolled his eyes at her dramatic statement but chose to keep quiet. Bella was stubborn at the best of times.

"That's exactly why I didn't bother. Getting an autograph from the guy is gonna be hard enough. I can't be expected to stand next to him and _not_ jump him," Trace laughed.

"I'm starting to wish I hadn't. How can someone I don't know have such a huge effect on me?" Bella asked, her legs beginning to bounce. Emmett wanted to laugh. He'd seen Bella face plenty of so-called famous people before in her life. She'd never been that nervous before. Usually she was calm and commanding in those situations. Who knew all it would take to make her crack was a pretty boy from the States?

"You'll be fine. Go and enjoy your squeeze with Edward Cullen. I'm really regretting not getting one myself now," Kathleen sighed. "Maybe next year?"

"Definitely next year," Bella assured her.

An hour later and Emmett was once again back in a queue. This time, he was queuing for Bella to get her photo op with Edward Cullen. Dave had thought it would be best for the two of them to go last, given that questions would be asked about why Emmett was in the room without a photo op ticket. So, the pair had hung behind until the last moment before joining a queue that already snaked around the room the photos were being taken inside of, and the corridor outside. Dave had passed them a few moments ago on his way inside after promising he would be present in case there was any trouble.

"I should have brought a book with me," He sighed, sliding to sit down on the floor, like most of the other attendees had done.

"It's not that bad. I've been in more boring conferences before. Remember Madrid?"

Emmett snorted at the memory of the meeting he'd been forced to sit through with Bella two years ago. "Ah, yes. How could I forget Madrid? I'm pretty sure we were the only two people who stayed awake for the entire _seven hours_."

Bella laughed at the memory before the line in front began to move again. She bounced up and followed it through to the open door, taking a deep breath before she stepped inside. Although there were already dozens of other people in the room her eyes were drawn straight to him. He was currently posing with another young woman, around Bella's age. The two were stood back-to-back grinning for the camera.

Edward was dressed casually for the day. He wore a pair of dark jeans slung low on his hips, a grey shirt and a black sweater, which seemed to cling to him like a second skin.

He'd never looked more beautiful to Bella.

She was pleasantly surprised to see that he'd let his facial hair grow a little over the filming break. While Bella had never been keen on facial hair before, it was certainly growing on her now. She actually found herself feeling a little disappointed that she wouldn't get to feel how soft that scruff was for herself.

She took another deep breath.

"How do I look?" she asked Emmett, her hands coming up once again to fiddle with her wig. He caught them just before she could.

"You look beautiful. Stop fidgeting. If he doesn't think you do then it's his loss."

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks Em."

It took another twenty minutes before the person in front of Bella was finally in front of the camera. During that time, Dave had been covertly sending people from the room, trying to make sure that he got the numbers down as far they would go before Bella got her time with Edward. There was only the one girl, Chris the photographer, Dave, Edward, and his handler left in the room.

While Dave ushered the final girl out of the room with her photo card, Bella briefly debated removing her wig for an actual picture with her idol. But given how much her head was sweating under the blonde synthetic hair, she quickly decided against that idea. Besides, it was still _her_ under all of that hair and makeup, even if nobody else recognised her.

When the girl had finally left the room, after declaring her love for Edward a few hundred times, he slipped to the side for a quick sip of water as Bella took a few more deep and cleansing breaths.

Oh God, she was gonna pass out. She was gonna pass out in front of Edward Cullen.

"Big girl pants," Emmett reminded her as he nudged her forward.

"Hi. Thanks for waiting."

When he finally turned those beautiful green eyes on Bella she lost all ability to function. Instead, she stood for a while, mouth gaping like a fish.

Emmett elbowed her in the side and muttered something about pulling herself together before he pushed her towards Edward.

The knowledge that she was probably making a fool of herself finally seemed to snap her out of her fangirl haze and she shook her head to clear it.

"Hey. It's lovely to meet you," she smiled, striding forward with a little more confidence.

Jesus, she'd met the president before, this should not be so hard.

Edward's eyes narrowed a little at the sound of her voice but he quickly pulled himself together before asking, "what would you like?"

"Just a hug would be wonderful, thank you," she replied, blushing a little at the thought of being pressed up against him.

"One hug coming up." Edward pulled her into his arms easily and Bella let herself be led. She wished she would be able to remember the experience a little more clearly, but she knew this would forever be forgotten to her. The haze was already descending. She was completely surrounded by him. His arms held her to him tightly, her face pressed up against his neck. Every time she inhaled she was breathing him in, a unique and wonderful smell she'd never be able to describe. And to make it that little more torturous, she felt as his face came down, to rest on top of her head.

She didn't remember the flash going off, or how Edward held on a little longer than he should have, checking with Chris to make sure the picture was a good one. She didn't hear his parting words or remember how Emmett had steered her out of the room.

It wasn't until she was safely in her own hotel room that she finally came back to herself.

"Holy shit he's pretty," was all she said as she collapsed back onto her bed giggling.

* * *

 **I need to thank Dooba and Duckie for being the little devils to my angel. (Okay I'm not an angel). There would be no story without their encouragement.**

 **And thanks to you guys for reading.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hi.**

 **Sorry about not responding to your reviews this week. We have flu in the house so I've been bundled up in bed for most of it. As I have a paper due next week, I thought I'd get this up for you tonight so I can focus on that. I promise to send something a little extra juicy next time to make up for it.**

* * *

"It's been really great so far. I think the British are a little more reserved than us Americans, but I'm having fun. It's a shame you couldn't be here," Edward replied, pouring himself some more coffee.

"Yeah, man, I was really looking forward to it too. But I couldn't turn this one down."

When Edward had woken up that morning the first thing he'd done was call Jasper. It felt odd to be at his very first convention without his co-star and best friend by his side, but he couldn't fault Jasper for taking the role. He'd have done the same thing in his position.

"So, any hot girls there?" Edward could hear Jasper's salacious eyebrow wiggle over the phone.

"Plenty, but you know I'm not interested in fangirls. My sister is still adamant that she wants to set me up with Tanya when I get back home, remember?"

"How could I forget? Damn, I'm not ashamed to admit I've added plenty of her GQ shoots to my spank bank. You lucky dog."

Edward groaned around the coffee he was sipping on.

"Thanks, Jasper. That's exactly the mental image I wanted with my breakfast." Jasper just laughed raucously down the line.

"Sorry, I forgot. There's only one woman that gets any of your juices flowing down south and she's not the kind to ever pose for a topless photo shoot."

While Jasper's words were meant to be teasing, Edward's mind was stuck on the girl he'd met the previous afternoon. She was his very last photo op of the day and while he hadn't recognised her, he could have sworn she sounded exactly like his crush.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Jasper asked, pulling Edward's thoughts back to the present.

"Sorry, man. Just thinking about this girl I met yesterday."

"Oh, so you _did_ meet a hot fangirl? You liar!"

"No, no. It wasn't like that." Edward took a deep breath as he tried to work out how to word his next sentence without sounding like he was insane. "It's just… she sounded so much like _her."_

"Maybe it was," Jasper suggested. Stranger things had happened to the both of them since they'd signed on for the show.

"Nah. This girl had blonde hair and really dark makeup on. I've never seen _her_ dressed that way before. Not to mention _she's_ a brunette. Maybe there's something in the water out here that's making me crazy?" he laughed a little at the idea, but couldn't shake just how familiar that voice was.

"Dude. They're both British. Maybe it's just the accent? Maybe they don't sound anything like each other and you just got a little confused? Haven't we always said you had a huge accent kink?"

"Yeah, maybe," Edward agreed, picking up his coffee to finish it off.

Edward spent his morning once again in a panel, answering questions for the fans and listening to their stories. As much as he hated being away from his family, he had to admit, this was one part of the job he could get used to. He loved how close he could get to the fans; how he could share his stories with them and listen to theirs in return. And, he had to admit, traveling the world was also a huge bonus. When he had finished in Coventry, he was planning to take a week off in Europe before returning home to Texas.

His panel flew by and as usual, he found himself being ushered off the stage much sooner than he would have liked. His day would be largely free save for the meet and greets he had booked after lunch and then his autograph session at the very end of the convention.

Edward used the time to call his mother and assure her that he was safe and being well looked after. Although he was twenty-six years old, his mother still tended to view him as a baby. Maybe it was because he had left home so early to pursue an acting career? No matter what the reason, Esme kept him talking for over an hour asking everything from, 'have you been eating your vegetables?' to, 'is the weather _really_ as bad as they say it is over there?' By the time he had finally gotten her to hang up the phone, he was being rushed into his first meet and greet of the day.

The meet and greets were the activity he was most looking forward to at conventions. Being able to sit down and enjoy a coffee with a small number of fans would give him a wonderful opportunity to truly gage how they felt about the show. And maybe he could even pass along some of their feedback to the network executives. He only wished it were possible to do the same with everyone present at the event. Sadly, his schedule would only be free for the next few weeks, so there was no way he'd have time for that.

He laughed his way through most of the meeting, discussing his audition for the series, his previous roles, and some of the more embarrassing moments on set. The fans loved it and they kept the questions coming, never once making the atmosphere awkward. When time was once again called all too soon, Edward found himself more than a little disappointed. He was definitely going to have to book for next year's convention.

There was a small break in between his first and last session so Edward used the time to freshen up and grab a snack. Convention schedules were hectic and he had found himself struggling to find time to eat all weekend. Thank goodness his mother had insisted he pack plenty of protein bars for the journey.

As Edward was ushered back to the room where his meet and greet was being held, his bodyguard Tyler was stopped by Dave. Dave offered him a quick hello before turning back to Tyler to explain that he had some important information for him.

"You can go on ahead, if you'd like?" Dave offered. "Nobody's in there yet so take some time to relax before the next session." He looked a little nervous but Edward thought nothing of it. It had to be stressful to run an event of this size.

"Sure thing," he replied, opening the door to the room. As he stepped in he realised that the set up for the room had changed. Instead of there being one large table for everyone to sit around, there was now only a small table sat in between two armchairs.

"What the hell is this?" he turned around to look for Tyler's support. Before he could say anything else the door was slammed shut from the outside. The sound of the lock turning echoed ominously in the empty room.

Edward dropped his coffee in shock, pulling at the door handle.

"What the fuck is going on?" he yelled, pulling with all his strength. The door didn't budge.

He was about to begin throwing himself at it, to try and bust it open, when the sound of another door opening reverberated around the space. His head whipped round just in time to see another figure slip into the darkness, before the sound of the door locking once more filled him with dread.

He gulped, stepping forward a little to try and see who had been locked inside with him. Maybe this was all just an elaborate prank that Jasper had organised.

"I'm really sorry about all of this. We were trying to find a way to make a meeting between the two of us as private as possible. I had no idea that meeting would result in us being locked in a room together."

Edward's eyes widened in shock.

He _definitely_ knew that voice.

The figure before him finally stepped into the light in the centre of the room, and his legs threatened to buckle.

He knew that face too.

"Holy fuck."

* * *

 **Thanks again to the wonderful Duckie and Dooba. I love those girls :-D**

 **I apologise if there are any slight mistakes in this chapter. Flu meds have me a little woozy but I didn't want to keep you waiting too long for an update.**

 **Extra special thanks again go to Tarbecca for recommending this story on the Fic Dive Campfire over on ADF. Undercover was voted as one of the favourite Fic Dives of the month for January and is now going to progress to Fic Dive Story of the Year in July. I'll keep you all updated on that when I can. If you use ADF and don't like leaving reviews, I promise to try and make sure I submit teasers for Sneak Peek Monday as often as possible, so take a look over there. If you don't use the site, I'll continue adding teasers to the end of your review replies.**

 **Finally, thanks to you guys for reading.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi.**

 **Sorry for the delay getting this up. I hope it's worth the wait. Prizes for anyone who can work out which actor Edward is modeled on here – apart from Michaela who clearly knows ;-)**

 **Are you ready to meet Bella?**

* * *

Edward stood frozen in shock as he watched her approach, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening to him.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to spook you," she continued. "I can ask them to let us out if you'd like?"

When Edward's mouth failed to work, she took that as her cue to get him out of there. He was starting to look awfully pale.

"Wait." Edward's hand shot out to grab her arm, pulling her back round to face him. "I… Um… I just need… a minute…or ten."

"Sure. Take your time. Do you want to sit down?" she asked, gently guiding him over to one of the armchairs.

Edward flopped down into it while she busied herself pouring him a glass of water. He had never been this shaken before in his life. A nervous, high-pitched laugh escaped him and she turned worried eyes to his.

"I'm acting like a fangirl. At a convention. For my own show," he explained, between laughing fits.

"Maybe we should call this quits? You seem a little…" she trailed off, not really knowing how to end that sentence without being rude.

"No. No. I'm fine. I swear, I'm fine. I just _really_ wasn't expecting you to step through that door. I thought some crazy fangirl had locked me in here to have her wicked way with me."

They both laughed at the idea before Edward jumped up out of his seat.

"My God, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm being so rude. My mom would be ashamed if she could see me right now."

"It's fine," she waved off his concern and pointed to the seat he'd been sat in before. "Honestly. I'm just here as a fan of yours. You don't have to treat me any differently."

"But you are different," he insisted. "I should be showing you some respect. Dear God, my mother is gonna kill me when she hears about this."

"If it would make you feel any better, we can do an official introduction," she assured him.

Edward nodded, jumping to his feet and wiping his suddenly sweaty palms down his jeans. "Please. I'd like to start this again, if that's okay with you?"

"Absolutely." She took a deep breath before holding her hand out to him. "Hi, I'm Isabella, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Edward took her offered hand and gave it a firm shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I'm Edward."

Once the introductions had been made, Edward felt a little more like himself. He wanted to be ashamed of how he had behaved when she'd first walked into the room, but he really couldn't bring himself to be. After all, a convention for his show was the last place on Earth that he expected The Princess of Wales to be.

"So, it really was you? Last night in the photo op line?" he clarified, sipping on the water that Bella had set out for them both.

"You recognised me?" she asked, panicking slightly.

"No, not really. It was your voice that I recognised. The blonde wig and dark makeup really threw me."

"Phew. I'm only allowed to be here as long as I remain unnoticed so I thought that maybe if you'd recognised me, someone else had too." Bella relaxed back into her own chair, nibbling on one of the cookies Dave had left for them.

"Your disguise definitely worked," Edward agreed. "I doubt anyone else would have recognised your voice." He flushed bright red at his words and Bella leaned forward in her seat, intrigued.

"How did you recognise my voice?" She asked teasingly.

"Um," Edward's hand came up to rub the back of his neck. "I…Um… I," he laughed awkwardly before rushing out, "Ikindahaveacrushonyou."

"Pardon?"

"Don't make me say it again, it was embarrassing enough the first time," he groaned.

"Would it help if I said that I kinda have a crush on you too?" she asked.

Edward's eyes snapped up to meet hers, wondering if he was being played. Instead, all he found was truth and understanding there.

"Really?" he was shocked.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" Bella shifted forward slightly, drawn towards him. The more Edward became comfortable around her, the more he seemed to fill the room with his presence.

"A little," Edward replied. "How long?"

Bella definitely felt more comfortable interacting with him when she was herself. She'd always been relaxed in her own skin, but it helped that Edward had fangirled over her just as much as she had over him. At least she'd had a good twelve hours to pull herself together.

"Since I was about fifteen." Edward gasped at her confession. "Dad brought me with him on a trip over to the US. I can't remember what it was for, but I remember spending a lot of time alone in my hotel room. That was when I discovered Days Of Our Lives."

"Oh God, no," Edward moaned.

"Yeah. Back then my fourteen-year-old self was hooked. I followed the show until you left and then I watched Dark Angel when I heard you'd been cast in it, Dawson's Creek when you joined that. You name it, I've seen it."

"Wow, you really are a fangirl." Edward was incredibly shocked. He had never dreamed that Bella would be interested in _any_ of his shows let alone _all_ of them.

"Your turn." Bella smiled wickedly. "How long have you had a crush on me?"

Edward turned an adorable shade of red once again as he tried to stutter out an answer. "Um… This is so embarrassing… My mom, she's this huge royalist. I grew up watching all the different royal events on TV. At first, I used to think it was really uncool and boring."

Bella gasped dramatically and Edward rolled his eyes at her.

"I know, right? Who'd have thought a ten-year-old boy would be bored by the royal family? Anyway, I remember this engagement you joined your father for in Washington when you were about sixteen. I was home visiting my parents for the weekend and Mom had it on TV. I just remember looking over and seeing you there and you looked so damned beautiful."

This time it was Bella who blushed under Edward's praise.

"Of course," he hurried to add, "I also kinda felt like a huge perv because you were sixteen and I was twenty-one. But I'm not ashamed to admit that I started paying a little more attention to my mom's obsession after that day."

Bella's phone vibrated in her pocket, snapping the two of them out of their moment. She cursed herself when she pulled it out and noticed the time.

"I am so sorry. I've kept you here far longer than the time Dave had agreed to let me have. I should let you get back to the convention." Bella pocketed her phone without bothering to check her message and stood up to head for the door.

"Hey." Edward caught her elbow once again and pulled her round to face him.

Only this time, he pulled a little harder and Bella found herself a lot closer.

"It's okay. I don't mind. I've really enjoyed talking to you," Edward continued. He still hadn't let go of her. Instead, his hand was gently brushing along the curve of her arm.

"Aren't you going to be late for your next engagement?" she whispered.

Edward leaned down further to hear her better.

"Don't have any now until the end of the day."

Bella took a quick second to assess the position she was in. She could either turn away from Edward and leave, as she had planned. Or she could close that tiny gap between the two of them, like she'd been imagining doing since she realised how close they'd been sat to each other all afternoon.

In the end, Edward ended up making the final decision for her. When she tilted her head up to look into his eyes, he leaned forward, pressing his lips gently to hers.

This time, it was Bella who froze in shock.

* * *

 **Thanks again to the wonderful Duckie and Dooba for always being on my side.**

 **And thanks to you guys for reading and reviewing.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hi.**

 **Sorry for the delay getting this up and the lack of review replies again. I was busy finishing up this term of school work. You'll be glad to know I have the next four weeks free so I promise to make up for it.**

 **I love that some of you could guess who my Edward was modelled on. If you don't know who Jensen Ackles is, Google him! The man is so pretty I quite literally cry every time I leave a room we've both been in.**

 **On a serious note, I have never written anything like this chapter before so I apologise for any mistakes in it. I couldn't stop fiddling with it before posting.**

* * *

Before she could do anything else, Edward pulled back, a look of horror descending over his face.

 _Had she been that bad to kiss?_

"I am so sorry. I have no idea what came over me. That was uncalled for. I'll leave." Edward turned to walk away. Before she could truly think about what she was doing, Bella tugged on his arm, spinning him back round to face her. She reached up to loop her arms around his neck, using them to pull his face down to hers.

When their lips met again it was soft and gentle, almost like Edward was scared he would damage her if he kissed too hard. He took his time, gently sliding his hands around her waist to pull her closer, lifting Bella's smaller frame to bring her up to his level.

Bella made a snap decision. She'd never been good at allowing other people to take control and this was one area of her life that was no different. She tightened her grip on Edward's hair and pulled, giving herself the leverage to lift up and wrap her legs around his waist.

Edward gasped and pulled back, his eyes wide and wild. "Fuck me."

"That's the plan."

Edward growled at Bella's cheeky tone before he pulled her back to him.

This time his kisses were rougher, more desperate, and everything she had _ever_ dreamed they would be.

Bella slid her hands down Edward's chest, finding the few buttons on his black shirt that were still fastened. She made quick work of freeing each one before her hands slid back up to push the shirt from his shoulders. The thin, white, cotton t-shirt he was wearing underneath was her next target. This time, her hands slowly skimmed down and over his back, enjoying the way the muscles there flexed under her touch, before she dragged them back up, his shirt lifting with them. Edward pulled away only long enough for her to tug the shirt over his head before he turned his attention to her neck.

As he placed small, suckling bites along the column of her throat, Edward began walking, only stopping when Bella's back hit the wall behind her. The sound of her soft moan was like nothing Edward had ever heard before and he suddenly found himself wanting to hear more of them. His hands dropped to her waist, teasing over the edge of her vest. Bella pulled back from where her teeth had been toying with his earlobe to allow Edward to pull the shirt over her head.

"You're so damned beautiful," he rumbled, voice like silk over leather.

"You're not so bad yourself."

Bella allowed her hands to trace over Edward's body, defining the shapes of his muscles, memorising the way they danced under them. When she was satisfied that the dips and planes of his torso would forever be seared into her mind, she allowed her hands to drop down, under the waistband of his jeans, teasing the sensitive skin there.

"Condom?" she whispered into his ear, tracing the shell with her tongue. Edward had never realised how much of a turn on that was for him.

"In my wallet," he bit out. "Back pocket."

But before Bella could make a move to retrieve it, Edward's deft fingers were working the clasp on her bra. The moment it slipped from her left shoulder, his mouth was on her.

"Holy shit," she gasped, head falling back against the wall. "That tongue is every bit as fantastic as I always imagined it was."

Edward chuckled around her nipple, the vibrations doing wonderful things to her body.

"Edward, _please_." Bella had never begged for anything before in her life. She'd also never wanted anything as much as she wanted him in that moment.

Edward shifted Bella slightly, allowing his left hand to support her weight against the wall. The right one he let slip down from where it was cradling the back of head. His fingertips teased down the centre of her neck, still wet from his lips, down between the valley of her breasts, lower to circle her bellybutton, before popping open the button on her jeans.

He released her nipple with a gentle suckle and Bella whined at the loss. When he unwrapped her legs from his waist and slid her down to stand on unsteady limbs, she looked adorably confused.

"Take your pants off," Edward explained, tossing the condom behind him before popping the button on his own jeans, and sliding down the zipper.

"I love a man who takes control," Bella quipped, sliding her jeans down her legs, wiggling a little to get out of them. And if she put a little extra wiggle in for show, who was to know?

When she was free from the denim, Edward pulled her back into his arms, kissing her forcefully. He lifted her easily, this time walking towards the armchair he'd been sat in for their meet and greet. She'd seemed to enjoy taking control throughout most of their time together, and Edward was not going to stop her now. It was far sexier than he ever imagined it could be.

As Edward dropped down into the chair, Bella settled easily over him. The new position gave her all the leverage she needed to begin rocking over him, feeling him strain against her with only the thin fabric of their underwear separating them. The friction was delicious to Edward's starved body.

A little too delicious.

"Isabella. If you don't stop now, I'm gonna come in my pants."

She slowed her rhythm but didn't stop completely.

"Condom?" she asked, biting down on Edward's neck. He'd probably have a bruise there when she was finished but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Edward snatched the small packet from where he had thrown it down onto the chair and passed it to her. He lifted his hips slightly to help Bella pull his boxers down and watched as she finally got her first good look at him naked.

"Damn," she whispered, eyes widening. He was definitely better than she'd dreamed.

In what seemed like agonisingly slow motion, Edward watched as she reached down to circle the tip of his erection with her index finger, her own eyes watching closely as it jumped against his stomach. Edward was sure he'd combust before she fully had her hands on him at this rate.

"You can touch me too," she suggested, brow raised, just as her hand circled his cock. A wicked grin spread across her face at the way his entire body seemed to jump at the contact.

"Fuck, that feels so good," he cried, watching as she slowly slid her hand up, giving a slight twist at the head, before sliding back down again. Edward had been given plenty of hand jobs before in his life. They'd never felt this good before. It was like watching one of his many drunken fantasies coming true.

When he finally felt like he'd gained some form of control over himself, he gently slid his hand over to the satin of Bella's panties, teasing the sensitive skin underneath. In all of his fantasies he'd imagined her as a white lace kind of girl. The black satin was unexpected, but he found that it fit perfectly with the woman he was coming to know a little better.

The front of her panties were slightly damp, both from her own excitement and where she had rubbed against his. Edward quite liked the idea of marking her in that way.

 _God he was such a caveman._

Bella sighed when he made his first gentle pass over her, almost as playfully as she'd done to him. Her strokes faltered slightly when his next pass was a little firmer and Edward smirked. Bella might enjoy taking control of the situation but he loved seeing her lose a little of it.

As his fingers become more insistent, Bella's rhythm failed completely. Instead she leaned forward, her forehead pressing against his. "Edward, please. _I need you_ ," she moaned, ghosting her lips over his.

He pulled away just long enough to open and unroll the condom before Bella was pushing her panties aside and sinking down on top of him.

"Fuck," she cursed, when her thighs were finally flush with his.

Edward was panting into her neck, desperately fighting the urge to move. It hadn't been that long since he'd last gotten laid, but it had been long enough. Just the knowledge that it was Bella he was currently buried inside of had him on the brink of orgasm almost immediately. Years of fantasies were flashing behind his eyes, making it harder to stay still.

Bella set a slow and gentle pace to begin with. She'd never dreamed that one day she'd be able to live out this fantasy and she was determined to make the most of it. Edward helped guide her movements, his hands a tight anchor on her hips, that would probably leave bruises by the time she showered that evening. She allowed her tongue to trace a path down over his neck and abs before settling on his nipple. When she sucked one into her mouth, Edward's hands tightened infinitesimally, pulling Bella down onto him a little harder. She moaned long and loud in response, the vibrations zipping throughout his body.

As Bella's movements became faster, harder, Edward's hips started bucking under her, searching for any way to help increase the pleasure he could feel building low in his stomach.

He was going to come embarrassingly early.

One of his hands slid round from where it was holding her hip, over her stomach, and down to where they were currently joined. If he was coming early, he was taking her with him.

For the rest of his life he'd never forget how arousing it was to feel himself, hot and heavy, sliding in and out of her beautiful body as his nimble fingers found her clit.

Bella cried out loudly the moment his fingers made contact. Someone passing the room would probably have heard her, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Edward's fingers were slowly bringer her closer and closer to that blinding light her body was searching for.

When she finally tightened around him, her body seizing with pleasure, it was with Edward's name escaping her lips as a sigh.

His name had never sounded so good before.

Edward managed to hold out just long enough to see Bella through her orgasm before he was holding her to him tightly, his own climax taking over.

Bella came back down to earth to find herself cradled in Edward's lap. At some point, he had changed their positions. Probably to remove and dispose of the condom. Instead of straddling his waist, she was currently held in his arms, her head resting against his chest.

They both jumped at the sound of someone banging loudly on the back door.

"Um… I hate to interrupt," the voice, _Emmett's voice_ Bella realised, yelled, "but Mr Cullen is needed for his autograph session."

"Shit." Bella jumped up off Edward's lap to search for her jeans. How they'd made it to the other side of the room she'd never know. She found her phone in the left pocket, complete with three missed calls and seven messages, all from Emmett reminding her of the time limit she was on.

Edward was still sat in the armchair when she glanced back over, his eyes firmly fixed on her naked body.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you late," she apologised, hopping into her jeans before she picked up her boots.

Edward moved slowly, grimacing slightly at the feel of dried come on his leg, as he walked to her. Bella already had her bra on by the time he was in front of her and she was busy searching for her shirt and avoiding his eyes.

He gently took her face between his hands, tilting it up until she had no choice but to look at him.

"Am I gonna see you again?" he asked, his voice unusually vulnerable.

"Of course," Bella assured him. "I still need your autograph." She winked as she backed away and pulled her shirt over her head, before turning for the back door. "I'll see you in the hall," she called back to him, banging twice on the door, before pulling her hair free from the back of her shirt. The door was pulled open from the outside and Bella left as quickly as she had arrived.

Edward noticed that she didn't bother to look back at him as she did.

* * *

 **Extra special thanks go to Wendy, Dooba and Duckie for holding my hand through this chapter. I definitely could not have done this without you.**

 **And thanks to you guys for reading and reviewing.**

 **I'll be hiding for the next few days.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me during my technological issues. I can confirm that my laptop is no longer a fire hazard so hopefully delays will be kept to a minimum now.**

* * *

"Um, where do you think you're going?" Emmett asked, watching Bella stride through her hotel room. He'd stayed quiet on the way up to the room but he couldn't bite his tongue any longer.

"For a shower," she answered, looking a little too confused to be genuine.

"So we're not gonna talk about what happened down there?" Emmett sat down on the bed making a show of doing so. Bella got the message loud and clear. He wasn't going anywhere until she'd talked with him.

"Nothing happened, Emmett. Let's leave it at that. I thought you'd be desperate to get away from here?"

"I am, but that's not the point. You tell me _everything_ , even when there are certain things I don't wanna know. I'm never going to be able to look at that Spanish prince _ever_ again." He shuddered a little at the memory of _that_ conversation. "Talk to me, Bella. I know you had sex with him. The walls were not that thick. Hell, even his security knows you had sex with him! What happened? Did he blow you off or something afterwards?"

"I did not have sex with him and we are not having this conversation."

"So, you always turn your shirt inside out when you meet your crush, do ya?" Emmett sat back on his arms, a smug smile lighting up his face.

"I blew him off, okay? Now can we just drop this?"

"Why would you blow him off? You've had a crush on the guy _forever!_ Is this about your mum?" Emmett was more than a little confused.

"No. It's not about her. It's…" Bella trailed off frustrated. "It was good, Em. It was so good with him. And I'm not just talking about the sex. The sex was mind blowing, but the connection I felt to him was like nothing I've ever felt before."

"And that's bad how?"

 _Women were so confusing._

"He lives and works on the other side of the world, Emmett." Bella spoke slowly, like she was explaining a problem to a small child.

"And? Let's be honest Bella, if anyone could make a long distance relationship work, it would be you guys. You two can actually afford to visit each other, unlike most people. Look, I'm not trying to be difficult here, but I'm just saying, if you like this guy, don't let geography stop you from trying. You're not the kind of girl to jump into bed with a guy on the first date, so I know he must be special."

Bella stopped her pacing as she listened to Emmett's advice. He'd been her closest friend for so long now. The person she always turned to for guidance.

"Just…" Emmett shifted awkwardly under Bella's intense stare. "Just make sure if you want this, you want it because you want _him,_ not the fantasy you've created of him over the years."

With that, Emmett stood and made his way over to kiss the top of Bella's head. "I'll be back to help you with your wig," he told her, before leaving her to shower.

* * *

Edward kept a smile on his face for his autograph session that afternoon but it was all an act. He couldn't get Isabella out of his head, or the way she had just left after their time together. After every autograph he would lift his head to scan the crowd for her, but there were just too many people in the room.

Half an hour into the session and he was starting to think she would blow off the autograph.

He kept the smile firmly in place and signed whatever was put in front of him, trying to make small talk with the fans who found the courage to speak to him. But his mood was slowly darkening.

When a picture was slid in front of him to sign almost twenty minutes later, he was moving on autopilot. He didn't pay much attention to what he was being asked to sign, but he did glance up briefly to say hi.

Then he did a double take.

The eyes looking down on him were definitely familiar, as was the blonde wig.

"Hi," he breathed, relieved to see her standing before him.

"Hey." She smiled shyly down at him.

For a moment, time stood still as they held each other's gaze. But the trance was broken the moment Edward's handler gently nudged his elbow, and inclined her head at the picture Isabella had set in front of him.

Edward looked down to find the picture the two of them had taken the day before. He definitely needed to talk to Dave and see if there was anyway to get a copy of it.

"Thanks for coming out this weekend," he said, working the same line he'd been using all day. As he spoke, he occasionally glanced up to catch Isabella's eye as he autographed the picture.

"I had a great time," she told him, the mischievous look in her eye confirming that she meant more than just the event.

When Edward had finished writing, the picture was slid away from him and handed back to Isabella. The handler didn't bother looking at it, instead calling for the next person in line.

If Bella were a gambling girl she'd have placed bets on the handler being jealous of the attention Edward was paying to her.

"Until next time?" Edward's parting words were half hopeful and half questioning.

"Next time," Bella agreed.

It wasn't until she was back outside, away from the hustle of the autograph room that she finally looked down at her picture.

 _Isabella,_

 _I'd love to see you again._

 _Call me,_

 _310-746-0882_

 _Edward._

* * *

Edward had been simultaneously staring at, and ignoring his phone ever since he got back to his hotel room. His mother had called twice, Jasper once, and there were countless text messages from his brother and sister waiting to be read too.

Yet, there was nothing from the person he hoped to hear most from.

After two hours of staring at the TV and seeing nothing, Edward finally gave up. He picked up the phone and called down for room service. He'd missed lunch after being with Isabella all afternoon and he was starving.

A message came in as he was answering the door.

Edward brought his meal to the small table in his room, ignoring the beeping of his phone. He assumed it was just his mother, once again messaging to see why he hadn't returned any of her calls, yet.

It was only as he made his way back to his bed, a little tipsy from the whiskey he'd consumed with his steak, that he checked his phone.

The message was innocent enough, yet it sobered him completely.

 **+447535473723**

 **I told myself I wouldn't call. So I haven't.**

Edward read it to himself a few times, making sure that it was definitely the person he thought it was, before he saved her number and hit reply.

 _I'm glad you messaged me. I was starting to worry that I'd never hear from you again._

 _Why didn't you wanna call?_

 **It's complicated.**

What the hell kind of answer was that?

 _I had a great time getting to know you today. I'm staying in Europe a little longer if you want to get together again?_

And since when had Edward turned into the woman in a relationship. He'd be embarrassed, if it weren't the Princess of Wales he was currently trying to date.

 **I don't think that's such a good idea.**

 _Why not? I know you felt something when we were together. I could see it in your eyes. Why are you making this so difficult?_

Edward cursed the fact that his iPhone showed him that Isabella had read his message almost immediately after he sent it, because, after thirty minutes, there was still no reply from her.

As the minutes ticked by, Edward was becoming more and more frustrated. Had he really read everything so wrong? Surely not, if she'd gone to the trouble of actually contacting him.

He typed out one more message, promising himself that it would be the last he would send.

 _I'll be at the Hilton until tomorrow evening. I'm in the deluxe penthouse suite. I'd love to see you again. If you don't respond, I promise I won't contact you again._

To save himself from staring at his phone for the rest of the night, Edward switched it off and decided to head for the shower. Maybe the hot water would help ease some of his tension.

It was as he was shutting off the water that he heard it.

A small knock at his room door.

Assuming that room service was calling to offer the turndown service, Edward wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to the door. He didn't need anyone turning down a corner of his bed sheets, he could do that perfectly well himself.

"Not tonight… Your Highness?"

Edward's eyes widened as he took in the sight of her stood before him. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her hair was soaking wet. She was wearing slightly dressier clothing than he had seen her in all weekend. But it was her eyes that stole Edward's breath. They were wide and wild, tracking the movement of the small drops of water, that Edward hadn't managed to completely dry, as they slid down his naked torso.

"You're here?" When he finally made his voice work it came out a little lower pitched than he'd planned.

Isabella's eyes snapped up from where they had lingered on the dip of Edward's hips, to meet his own.

"I wasn't going to come," she told him.

"Then why _are_ you here?" Edward asked, confused.

"I told myself I wouldn't get any more involved. You live and work on the other side of the world. I should just cut ties now and save myself the trouble."

"But?" Edward could sense her hesitation.

Bella stepped forward, crowding into his personal space. She lifted her left hand to cup the side of Edward's face, tracing the line of his jaw with her thumb.

"But the thought of never seeing you again, never touching you again… I couldn't bare it."

Edward wasn't sure which one of them moved first.

One moment he was staring into Isabella's eyes, her vulnerability at that moment shinning through. The next, his hands were tangled in her wet hair, his lips moving against hers as he pulled her into the room, kicking the door shut behind them.

* * *

 **Thanks again to Dooba and Duckie. I do love you girls.**

 **And thanks to you guys for reading and reviewing. They definitely brighten the darkest of days.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hi.**

 **Thanks again for coming back to this story!**

 **I can confirm that I once again survived the Asylum! And this time I came SO CLOSE to not embarrassing myself. (One year I won't!). If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, I'm sure you've seen the pictures by now.**

 **I also got to hug one of my lovely readers there too. Such a wonderful weekend (and I get to go back again this weekend for the Barrowman!)**

 **Anyway, I'll let you get back to Edward and Bella but there is an important announcement at the bottom of this chapter.**

* * *

"What time is it?" Bella asked, stretching out lazily along Edward's naked body.

They'd both drifted off to sleep sometime after the second time, when they had finally made it into Edward's bed. The first had been just as fast and rough as it had been during their meet and greet. Bella couldn't seem to get enough of him.

But the second time had been different.

Softer and more gentle. They had taken the time to explore each other fully, discovering the places that made each other fall apart in their arms. Bella had felt like she was being worshiped and while, at first, it had been unnerving, she was quickly growing to love the way Edward looked at her.

"Um…" Edward turned his head to look at the alarm clock blinking away on his side table. "Almost three," he told her, running his fingers gently through her hair to untangle the strands that had become wild when they'd gotten wet earlier in the evening.

"Damn," she sighed. "I need to be left by five, at the latest."

"What? Why?" _Who on Earth left a hotel so early in the morning?_

"My flight for Sydney leaves at seven," she explained.

"Excuse me?"

"My flight leaves at seven. I need to be left here at five am to make it there in time," Bella clarified.

"I understand how flying works. Why are you leaving for Sydney?" Edward gently untangled himself from Bella before pushing himself up against the headboard. _Did she really feel the need to fly to the other side of the world to escape him?_

"My father is there at the moment for an engagement. I promised I'd join him after the convention." Bella turned to look at Edward and frowned when she saw the confusion on his face. She sat up, pulling the sheet to her chest to keep herself covered. For some reason, serious conversations just didn't stay that way when conducted naked.

"It's nothing personal, Edward. This was planned for months before I met you today. I can't just blow it off. People are expecting me. I have responsibilities that I can't just shirk because I'd rather be here having sex with you."

Edward cracked a little at that.

"You'd rather be here having sex with me?" he waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner and Bella slapped at his arm.

"Yes, okay. You caught me. You have a wonderful penis. Now, can we move on, please?"

"Sure." Edward made himself a little more comfortable, making a good show out of accidentally flashing Bella, before pulling her back into his arms.

"I have engagements in Sydney for the next three weeks and then I'll be back in London for work. I'm sorry our schedules don't mesh." Bella was surprised at how true that statement was.

She had spent a lot of time thinking about what Emmett had said. He knew her much better than anyone else did, besides her father, and she knew that he wouldn't have said anything if he hadn't clearly thought it through first. Which meant that she really should think it through too.

She had been scheduled to leave that evening for a hotel in London, before her flight the next morning. It had been in the car ride on the way there when Edward's last message had come through. His threat to cut ties with her had been exactly what she wanted. And yet, the moment she read his words, she was yelling at the driver to turn their car around. Something about the thought of never seeing him again just didn't settle well with her. Emmett had only given her a knowing a look and told her to make sure she left before five.

"I've never been to Sydney before," Edward mused, his fingers once again pulling through Bella's hair.

"You should one day. It's a beautiful city."

"Maybe I could change my plans for my vacation time."

Bella froze in Edward's arms.

"I could switch the ticket I have for France easily enough and maybe join you there?"

She took a few deep breaths before she spoke. While her epiphany in the car had shown her that she obviously cared for Edward, this was still a little fast for her comfort.

"Edward, I don't mean to be rude but while I'm there it's going to be more about business than pleasure. My days are planned for me down to the last minute. I won't have time for you while I'm there. If you want to go to Australia, go because the country fascinates you. Don't go for me."

Edward turned Bella to face him, taking his time to read the hidden words in her expression.

"You're right. You're going to be busy and you don't need me messing up your day. We've only known each other for less than a day, we don't need to be joined at the hip. I'll do my tour of Europe like I'd planned."

Contrary to popular belief, Edward wasn't just a pretty face. He could see the fear hiding in Bella's eyes. The same fear he'd seen in them when she'd left their meet and greet earlier that day. He wasn't yet sure what it was that she was scared of, but he wasn't prepared to send her running again. "Besides, we can still talk to each other, right?"

"Yeah, we can do that," Bella agreed.

"Good. Now can we stop talking and make the most of these last few hours?" Edward asked, lowering his lips to cover hers.

* * *

"Edward… wake up." Bella gently shook his shoulders and smiled when he mumbled, tightening his grip on the pillow he'd pulled into her place. She'd considered leaving without waking him but even for her that seemed heartless. "Edward, I have to leave. Wake up."

"Ten more minutes," he begged, tugging on the hand she had on his shoulder.

"I can't. I really need to leave. Don't you want your goodbye kiss?" she asked.

Bella chuckled at the adorable sight of a half-sleepy and rumpled Edward as he cracked first one eye, and then the other, open before hauling himself into an upright position.

"Why is it so hard to say goodbye?" The look in Edward's eyes as he raised them to meet Bella's nearly floored her.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "But this isn't a goodbye really. More of a, 'see you soon?'"

"Yeah?" Edward wasn't one-hundred-percent sure he believed her.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have come back if I didn't mean that."

The words hung between them for a few moments as they absorbed the importance of them.

Bella's phone buzzed on the bedside table and broke the moment. She knew without looking at it that it would be Emmett saying he was inside the building and waiting for her.

"I really do have to go." She leaned down to gently press her lips to his, letting them linger a little longer than she had intended. "I'll text when I land."

"Please do," Edward murmured, letting his lips ghost along hers before he pulled her in for another kiss, this one a little more passionate than the last. If he couldn't convince her to stay for round four, he'd at least leave her with the memories of that day fresh in her mind.

She pulled away a little more reluctantly this time when her phone began to ring. Instead of answering it, she just silenced the noise before sliding it into her pocket.

"Sleep well, Edward," she told him before pressing a final kiss to his forehead and picking up her jacket, from where she'd tossed it onto the end of the bed.

This time, when she left the room, she made sure to look back at Edward before she pulled the door closed behind her.

* * *

Bella spent the ride to the airport in silence. Every time she caught Emmett's eye he'd give her a knowing wink and she knew she needed to clear her mind before she faced her father. So, instead she chose to focus on her work. Her colleague had emailed a case her way just before the convention, stating that it had her written all over it, and James was rarely wrong when it came to these things. He'd been working with Bella since the beginning and he knew that Human Rights was not just a job to her, but a passion.

When the driver announced that they had arrived, Bella took a little longer than necessary to pack away her laptop and note pad, watching as Emmett slid effortlessly, for a guy his size, out of the car and round to help with her luggage. She used the time to fire off a quick message before shutting off her phone for the flight.

 _Now boarding. Will text when we land. Thanks for this weekend_

* * *

"You've been very quiet," Charles observed, peeking over the top of his book. He'd pulled it out and started reading when Bella pulled out her laptop claiming she had a new case to work on. He knew how focused she could get when she was working. However, it had become very apparent to Charles early into their journey that Bella's mind truly wasn't on her work.

"Just working, Dad." She smiled over at her father, but Charles wasn't buying into it. It was Bella's I-have-a-secret smile.

"How was your convention this weekend? Did anybody recognise you?" Charles had been very against the idea of Bella attending a convention without her usual entourage. He'd had many nightmares in the months leading up to it about what could go wrong while she was there. They ranged from his usual fears of seeing his daughter dead on a bed, to being trampled to death by a horde of screaming women.

"No, nobody recognised me. I'm sure you'd have been the first to know if they had. I know you stalk the BBC News App updates whenever I leave the house."

"You're avoiding one question." Charles raised an eyebrow, a sign Bella recognised well from when she'd been caught in a lie before.

"It was good. I had fun."

Charles hummed to show that he'd heard his daughter before he went back to his book.

He gave it until the chapter break before he raised his eyes once again.

"Wasn't that guy there? The actor bloke you like. Edwin something?"

"It's Edward, Dad," Bella corrected, rolling her eyes slightly. Charles knew it would get a rise out of her.

"Yeah, him. Didn't you get to meet him? Did you fawn all over him? Or was he a pretentious prick in real life?"

"He was not!" Bella knew she sounded a little too defensive the moment the words left her mouth, so she tried to tone it down a bit. "He was very sweet."

"Was he now?" Bella also recognised _that_ tone.

"Dad, please. I really need to work."

Charles dropped the subject, but not before sending his own covert text message.

 _What the hell happened this weekend?_

* * *

 **Thanks again to Dooba and Duckie. I do love you girls.**

 **And thanks to you guys for reading and reviewing.**

 **I'm afraid to say that an update is unlikely now until late June. I'm about to start final preparations for my exams, so I need to give them my full attention. I promise that if I can find the time to slip one up earlier, I will do.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hi.**

 **Thanks again for coming back to this story!**

 **Exams and school are now over until October, and I've even caught up at work, so I hope I'll be able to get back into a more regular posting schedule for you all.**

 **Sorry this one took a little longer. For some reason the site really didn't want me uploading it.**

* * *

"I don't believe you."

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes. Why had he decided to call his mother again?

"What's not to believe? I left my charger at home. I now have a new one, with a European adapter, that I can bring with me next year too. I called as soon as I could."

Esme hummed down the line and Edward prayed she'd brought his lie. There was no way he was going to let his mother know what had truly happened over the weekend. It would be front-page news by the time he'd finished showering.

"So, when are you coming home? We miss you."

"Soon, Mom. I just want to see some of Europe first and then I'll be on the first flight back to Dallas. I promise."

"Good. Call when you know and I'll have your room ready and waiting for you."

"I will do, Mom." Edward's phone beeped in his hand and he was thankful for the distraction. He knew his mother could get tearful when they had been apart for a while. "I have to go, Mom, I'm getting another call. But I promise I'll be home soon."

"Okay, stay safe, Sweetheart. We love you." Esme sniffled slightly before she ended the call to her son.

Edward's heart felt a little heavier at the sound. He knew that his mother missed him a great deal, what with his busy filming schedule. She always tried hard not to show it. But he also knew she would never hold him back from his dreams. Acting was something Edward knew he was born to do. And working on the show was a whole new level of amazing for him. The fans were so dedicated and he loved them for it. The weekend may have been his first convention, but Edward knew it wouldn't be his last.

The vibration of the phone in his hand drew his attention back to the device. He looked down, fully expecting to see Jasper's name on the screen. He may have stared a little too hard when instead, he saw;

 **Isabella - HRH The Princess Of Wales**

Edward shook himself a little, and then scrambled to answer the call before it was sent to voicemail. He still couldn't quite believe she was calling him again.

"Hi." He could think of nothing else to say.

"Hi." Apparently, neither could Bella.

"I didn't think I'd ever hear from you again." Edward had to pinch his thigh to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"You asked me to let you know when our flight had landed. I waited until I was in my room but I wanted you to know. That I'd landed. Safely."

Edward would have snorted if he hadn't been shell-shocked. He never heard Bella sound so unsure of herself before.

"Thank you. I really appreciate that." Edward took a moment to sit down on his own hotel bed. "I'm in Paris now. I left shortly after you did. Haven't left my hotel yet, though."

"Oh you should. France is such a beautiful country. There are many places you should visit." Edward loved the veiled excitement he heard in Bella's voice.

"Okay, where should I start?" he asked, settling back against the headboard.

* * *

"You asked to see me, Sir?" Emmett approached slowly. Charles may be his best friend's father, but he was also his employer _and_ the King. He more than deserved Emmett's respect, even if he never asked for it.

"Yes, Emmett. Thank you for making yourself available so quickly. Take a seat. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? When was the last time you ate?"

Emmett chuckled softly before taking the offered seat. "I'm fine thank you, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Well, this is a little awkward." Charles stopped to take a sip from his own steaming cup of tea before continuing. "I've spoken with the chief of security over your weekend in Birmingham and he suggested I speak with you. I know you're close with Bella. And I also know you would never betray her trust. But I know my daughter. I know when something is wrong with her. She seemed a little off on the flight here. So, without putting you into a difficult position, I just want to know, is my daughter okay? Did something happen while you were at the event that I should know of?"

Emmett took a moment to carefully think before he spoke. The last thing he wanted to do was betray Bella's trust. And it sounded like her father didn't want that either. So, instead, he went with a half-truth.

"Something did happen while we were away, Sir." He saw Charles's head whip up in shock and rushed to reassure him, "but it was nothing bad. I believe Bella was given a few things to consider about the way she has led her life since the death of her mother. And, I also believe that this is something good. Something she needs in her life."

The relief Emmett could feel coming from the man in front of him was overwhelming.

"Thank you, Emmett. You will let me know if it becomes something I should be concerned about, right?"

"Of course, Sir." Emmett stood at the nod of Charles' head. "I shall retire for the evening now, unless you require anything else?"

"Nothing else, Emmett. I will see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

Bella flopped back onto her bed over two hours after she'd first entered the room. She'd only intended to text Edward and let him know she'd arrived safely. She didn't know what possessed her to press the call button instead. And yet, once he was on the phone, talking with her about the places in Europe he'd like to visit, she couldn't bring herself to hang up. There was just something about his voice that was so comforting. So she had settled back and suggested places throughout Europe that Edward should work into his visit, while reminiscing on her own memories.

She had probably told him more during the last two hours than she'd told anyone in the last decade. Edward had some kind of way of pulling information from her and while it had worried her at first, she'd found it nice to be able to truly open up to someone other than Emmett. It wasn't that she didn't love Emmett and the friendship he gave her, but Bella would be lying if she said that there weren't times when she'd found herself feeling lonely.

A quick glance at the alarm clock on her bedside table showed that it was approaching midday in Sydney. Bella knew that she should try and get some rest, before her busy schedule began the next day, but her brain was just not ready to switch off. Edward had practically fallen asleep on the phone with her. The poor guy was suffering with terrible jetlag.

So, instead, she opened up her laptop and pulled up the case file James had sent her. Work had always been a good distraction in the past and she was hoping it would work again for her now.

* * *

Edward woke to the sound of his phone vibrating on the side table. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep but it was still dark outside the window, where he'd forgotten to close the drapes.

The phone continued to buzz insistently and he pulled it to his ear, hitting answer without bothering to check who was calling.

"This had better be important. I was sleeping," he groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I'll hang up."

"NO. Don't do that," he rushed out, while pulling the phone from his ear to check the display. He wasn't dreaming. It definitely said;

 **Isabella - HRH The Princess Of Wales.**

"Is everything okay?" he asked, trying to do the math in his head and work out what time it would be in Australia.

"No."

The word hung between them for a while. Edward was too stunned to actually speak to her. With one little word Bella had told him so much.

"It will be, though. I don't know why I called," she admitted quietly.

"I'm glad you did."

Although Edward couldn't see it, he could almost hear the smile in her next words. "I'm glad. Will you tell me about your family?" she asked.

"Of course." Normally Edward would have been annoyed to be woken at such an early hour, and then asked to make small talk.

But he knew.

He knew that Bella was hiding something and that right now, she needed his small talk more than he needed his sleep.

So Edward talked.

He talked until he heard her breath soften and her exhales even out over the phone.

He talked until he knew she'd fallen back to sleep.

* * *

 **Thanks again to Dooba and Duckie who help keep me on track.**

 **And thank you all for reading.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hi.**

 **Thanks again for coming back to this story!**

* * *

Edward sighed as he kicked off his shoes and fell back against the familiar comforter. As much as he had enjoyed Europe, he was glad to be home. There was nothing quite like the well-worn comforter of his childhood bed, or the smell of his mother's famous Mexican Chilli.

He'd had a fantastic time touring Europe. Bella had directed him to all of her favourite spots in the cities he'd visited, but he'd be lying if he didn't admit that his favourite part of the trip was his final three days. He'd casually mentioned that skiing was something he'd always wanted to try one evening on the phone with Bella. When she had told him about the cabin her family had in the Alps, Edward had joked that, one day, they should go together and Bella could teach him to ski. She had been quick to suggest that he take the cabin for the weekend. A swift call to the housekeeper there and an hour later, Edward was on his way to Switzerland.

The skiing lessons Bella had arranged for him were fantastic. He'd never had so much fun before. The only thing that was missing to make the weekend perfect was Bella herself. But she'd promised him, on one of their nightly calls, that the next time Edward was in Europe, she'd make some time to hit the slopes with him.

So, naturally, Edward had immediately called to confirm his attendance for next year's UK convention.

"Edward, your sister will be here any minute, are you coming down?" Esme called up.

"Be down in a second."

He pulled out his phone to fire off a quick message to Bella.

 _Back home safely in Texas. I hope your dinner's going well. Talk soon. Xx_

Bella and her father were having dinner with the Australian Prime Minister and his wife, so Edward slid his phone back into his pocket, not expecting a response any time soon.

He jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen, not wanting to keep his mother waiting. "Is there anything you need me to do, Mom?"

"No, sweetheart. Would you like some coffee?" she asked, setting a steaming mug in front of where Edward stood. He inhaled deeply, savouring the smell.

"Thanks, Mom." He shot her a sweet smile as the doorbell rang and his phone vibrated in his pocket. Esme excused herself to answer the door as Edward pulled his phone free.

Bella's name flashed on his screen. He'd changed her contact to simply **Bella** when he'd landed back in his home state. His mother had a nasty habit of snooping, and the last thing he needed was for her to see **Isabella - HRH The Princess Of Wales** flashing on his screen. Edward hurried to unlock the phone to see what she had written before his mother could finish at the front door.

 **Glad to hear you landed in one piece. Dinner is BORING! The guy only wants to talk golf with my father, and his wife is so dull. I'm hiding in the bathroom. Xx**

She'd attached a picture of herself, in said bathroom, and Edward chuckled slightly as he saved it to his phone. She might have been hiding, and her pose definitely showed that, but she also looked absolutely stunning in her emerald green dress. He was absolutely taking _that_ image to bed with him later.

He was interrupted from his staring by the sound of his mother and sister approaching the kitchen. Not yet ready to share news of Bella with anyone else, Edward quickly turned off his phone and hid it in his pocket. He wouldn't put it past his little sister to try and run off with it if she thought he was hiding something.

"Hey stranger, how's Hollywood?" Angela asked, skipping over to plant a kiss on Edward's cheek. He turned around to squeeze her into a tight hug.

His little sister was seven years younger than he was, and even though she had been an adult for a few years now, he couldn't help but think of her as much younger. She'd always be his baby sister, no matter how old she got.

As Angela pulled back, Edward's eyes found those of the blond standing just behind her. He groaned slightly as he remembered that he had agreed to meet with Angela's friend Tanya when he returned. Angela had been trying to set the two of them up all year and Edward had finally caved to her wishes just before he left for the UK.

It didn't take long for Angela to notice that her brother's eyes had wandered. Sadly, she didn't catch the look of horror on Edward's face when he realised what was going on.

"Edward, I'd like you to meet my friend, Tanya. I thought you guys could get to know each other a little before your date."

"Hi, Tanya. It's nice to meet you." Edward plastered a fake smile on his face as he stretched out his hand to shake hers.

She was definitely not his type.

He turned back to his coffee hoping that his sister wouldn't make this too awkward for him.

"It's really nice to meet you," Tanya drawled. Edward could see her moving round the kitchen island so she was back in his line of sight. And she was twirling her fake blond hair around her fake fingernail. "I'm looking forward to our date." She fluttered her lashes at him and Edward cringed.

"About that. I'm so sorry but I don't think it would be appropriate for us to go on a date," he started, slowly.

All six female eyes flashed to his face.

 _Damn._

This was not what he wanted at all.

He blushed slightly under their scrutiny and lowered his head to rub at the back of his neck.

"Why not?" Angela snapped. "You agreed to go on a date with Tanya. You can't back out now."

"It's really not good etiquette, Sweetheart," Esme chimed in from her position by the stove.

"I… um. I sorta met someone while I was in Europe," he hedged.

The eyes on him were now blazing.

"You _met_ someone? What, a fan? Where?" Edward recognised the tone in Angela's voice. She was gearing up for an explosion.

"It's complicated. But I like her. And I think it would be hugely disrespectful to her to go on a date with someone else. I'm sorry, Tanya."

"You're sorry? You just met this girl like two weeks ago. She can't be _that_ important to you already. Who is she? Does she live in Europe because I hate to break it to you, Bro, but that's never gonna end in a serious relationship and it's certainly not a good excuse to blow off someone who you agreed to date before you met her!"

"Angela," Esme warned. She could also see the tension building in her daughter's body. Angela might have been the darling daughter of the family, but she also had a record for throwing some truly epic tantrums.

"Look, I really am sorry," Edward addressed both his sister and her best friend. "I don't want to say too much right now and jinx this but the woman I met is special. I _like_ her. Yes, she lives on the other side of the world, but we are both in positions where we can afford to travel and see each other. I _want_ to see where this goes. It might crash and burn spectacularly and if it does," Edward turned back to his sister, " _you_ can be first in line to say 'I told you so.' But, until then, I don't feel comfortable dating other women."

"I can't believe this, you're unbelievable." Angela stormed away from the room, slamming doors for good measure, with Tanya trailing behind her. Edward waited for the slam of the front door before he turned to look at his mother.

"You think I'm wrong?" he asked, trying to make out the curious look on her face.

"No. No, I don't. I think you're hiding something," she told him, raising her brow, "but I think you were right. If you truly like this girl then you're right not to date other women."

"Thank you," Edward sighed.

"I also think you need to be careful. Long distance relationships are hard work. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't, Mom." Edward finished his coffee and approached his mother. "I promise, I know what I'm doing."

Esme did not look reassured.

" _She's_ worth it. I know she is."

Esme stretched up to press a kiss to Edward's forehead.

"As long as you're sure, Sweetheart. I worry about you."

"You wouldn't be a mom if you didn't." Edward smiled, wrapping her up in his arms.

As much as he missed Bella, it was definitely good to be home.

* * *

 **Thanks again to Dooba and Duckie who keep me inspired.**

 **And thank you all for reading**


	12. Chapter 11

**Thanks for all of your wonderful comments and messages. I love reading them all.**

* * *

Bella gasped as she bolted up in bed; sweat running down her face. Her wide eyes were searching the room, but she couldn't make out anything in the dark. Fumbling for the switch on her bedside light, she screamed in shock, a hand coming up to cover her heart, when she realised she wasn't alone.

"You scared me," she finally squeezed out, her heart still hammering away.

"Sorry. I heard you." He didn't need to say anything else. Those three simple words explained it all.

The heavy silence hung in the room, almost suffocating Bella with its presence.

"What can I do? Tell me what to do, Isabella and I'll do it."

"Oh Dad," Bella threw herself into her fathers arms and they clung to each other tightly, battling the demons of their shared past.

Charles withdrew after a while, excusing himself to the bathroom before he returned looking a little more composed.

"You've met someone." It was a statement, not a question.

"Emmett told you?" Bella was a little horrified. She had always thought of Emmett as more of her best friend than her handler. She had always been certain she could trust him.

"Don't be ridiculous," Charles snorted playfully. "That boy would never betray your trust that way. And I would never ask him to." Bella relaxed back into the headboard at her father's assurance. She made a mental note to make sure Emmett knew how much she loved him, when it was a more decent hour. "I'm not stupid, Bella. You've been distracted ever since you got back from your event. I've seen you sneaking away to take and make calls, and you never look _that_ happy when you're discussing work."

"Yeah, I met someone," she finally conceded. It was useless lying to her father. He always had been able to see right through her.

"You like him." Again, it was a statement, not a question. "Does he know who you are?"

"Yes."

"Good." Charles looked away for a moment, a dark look crossing his face. "Don't push him away because of what happened with your mother. He makes you smile. You don't do anywhere near enough of that."

"I'll try." Bella knew she couldn't make any promises, but she definitely wanted to try.

"That's all I can ask for." Charles stood, and stooped to drop a kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Get some sleep. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad."

Charles left quietly, but Bella found it hard to sleep. Her dream was circling her mind, mixing with her father's words.

She pulled her laptop onto the bed, intending to distract herself with work, until she realised that she'd finished everything she could possibly do while she was away from her office. Instead, she ended up staring at the wallpaper on her Macbook. It was the picture she'd had taken with Edward at the convention.

A quick glance at the clock in the top corner of her screen told her it was two in the morning in Sydney. That meant it would be eleven am for Edward in Dallas. She sent him a quick message to check he was free before pulling up her Skype app.

* * *

Edward groaned and rolled over to find the source of the buzzing. He'd spent the previous evening out with his brother and was definitely feeling the effects of all the Scotch he'd thrown back now. He groaned once again when he saw the time and almost threw his phone back onto the table, until Bella's name caught his eye. It was a simple message, but something about it struck Edward as odd.

 **Are you awake?**

 _I am,_ Edward typed back, trying to do the math in his head. Unfortunately, the fog hadn't yet fully cleared so instead he Googled the time in Sydney. It was two am, something was definitely wrong.

 **RandomFan11 on Skype.**

Edward quickly pulled up his Skype app and typed in the username. It didn't take long for Bella to answer his request and he was soon looking at a slightly dishevelled, yet so incredibly beautiful, Princess.

"Hey," he sighed, sinking back further into his bed.

"Hi. Did I wake you?" Bella asked, her eyes skirting over Edward's features.

"Yeah, but my mom will be pulling my lazy ass out of bed soon anyway, so don't worry about it." He chuckled slightly, running a hand through his hair to try and tame it. "How about you? Isn't it two am there?"

"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep."

Edward nodded his head and bit his tongue. It was very obvious that Bella had been sleeping at some point. Her hair was slightly wispy from where it had come free from her braid and the right side of her face had a mark from her pillow on it.

She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"How was your night out?" she asked, snapping Edward away from his mental appreciation of her beauty.

"It was good, thanks. I'm pretty sure Ethan was trying to get me drunk though as I don't remember much after eight."

Bella laughed, as she picked up her own phone. "So you don't remember trying to sext me in the middle of the night?"

All of the colour drained from Edward's face.

"Shit. I did?" he asked, desperate to pull up his own messages and yet not able to bring himself to look away from the call.

"My favourite was, ' _Does your father have a throne? I'd love to fuck you on it._ ' It was less graphic than some of your other messages but still rather effective in doing it's job."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry." Edward looked truly mortified at the idea before another thought smacked him square in the face. "Oh shit. I hope I didn't mention you to my brother. Not that I'm trying to turn you into my dirty little secret," he hurriedly added, "it's just that I thought this might be easier if nobody else knew about us just yet. Saves things being leaked to the press, you know?"

She did know. Bella knew that Edward already knew what it was like to live in the public eye. She also knew that it would pale in comparison to what his life would be like if they found out he was dating royalty. No, right now, it was best for them to keep it quiet.

"I know what you mean, Edward. I think it's best this stays between us for now. And, for what it's worth, I think you told your brother my name but that was it. Some of your messages talked about how he kept buying you drinks in the hopes that you would spill more."

"Good. That's good. I'll check this morning but if he had half as much to drink as I did, he won't remember a word of what I said. He's turned into such a lightweight since he got married."

Bella laughed along with Edward as she watched him scratch at his jaw.

"Ugh, I need a shave," he told her, feeling the stubble under his fingertips.

"I like it. Makes you look extra manly," she told him, adding a salacious wink for good measures.

"Huh." Edward's brain wasn't capable of much else. It was stuck on that wink and everything that went with it.

Bella had a feeling the next time they Skyped, Edward would still be sporting the scruff.

"So, how long do you have left of your vacation before you head back for filming?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"We start filming again the first week of July. I'm planning to stay here with my parents until after my birthday and then I'll head back, get settled back into the apartment before Jasper gets there and starts messing shit up."

Bella could well imagine the kind of chaos Jasper would cause. She'd seen enough of the gag reels to know he was a giant man-child who was more than a little clumsy.

"Edward, are you up?"

The shout from his mother drew both of them back to reality and Edward groaned.

"I guess that's my cue to say goodbye." Bella looked just as unhappy at the idea as Edward was.

"I'm sorry. But we can do this again, right?" he asked.

"Of course. I'm flying home today, but if it's not too late when we land, I'll call."

Edward nodded his head, vaguely reminded of Bella's schedule. He could also hear the sound of his mother's footsteps on the stairs.

"You'll message before you take off and when you land?"

"Of course," Bella assured him.

"I have to go, I can hear my mother in the hall. Sleep well, Bella."

"Have a good day, Edward."

He managed to end the call just as his mother opened his bedroom door.

"Were you talking to someone?" she asked, a little confused.

"Yeah. But, I'm getting up now," he assured her, setting his phone to the side, and hopping out of bed. "I'm just gonna take a shower."

As Edward grabbed his clothes for the day out of his draws and headed to his bathroom, Esme felt only slightly guilty for picking up his phone, which he'd left unlocked, and checking the call history.

The name **Bella** appeared seventeen times in the last three weeks.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the massive delay in getting this up for you. Between school work and home problems my muse escaped me for a while. But she seems to be back for now.**

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Edward laughed at the argument his brother and sister were currently having over the price of gas.

He'd had a good day, so far. His mother had woken him with his favourite breakfast, in bed, and a pretty bad rendition of 'Happy Birthday' before leaving him to eat. Bella had also text him that morning to wish him a Happy Birthday before she headed to a meeting for the day. The case she'd been working on in Sydney had progressed enough that she was in the final negotiation stages, hoping to avoid a costly and public trial for her client.

After breakfast, Edward had taken a quick shower before heading to the mall with his mother. She wanted to pick up a few last minute items for the party she was throwing him later that day, and she wanted him to pick out a new shirt for the event too. Apparently Esme wasn't too keen on the amount of flannel her son had begun wearing. She'd muttered something about 'that damned show' rubbing off on him.

When they'd both gotten back, Edward had helped his father set up the grill before his family started arriving. It wasn't a big birthday. Turning twenty-seven wasn't all that special, but the family still came together like they were celebrating his twenty-first, every year, without fail. And that was how Edward had found himself sat around the outdoor table, sandwiched between his father and grandmother, listening to his brother educate Angela on oil prices.

He had just reached for another burger when the sound of the front doorbell interrupted the moment.

"I'll get it," Esme announced, quickly rising from her seat and heading back inside. Nobody else seemed to care. It was far more interesting watching Ethan try to explain how crude oil was formed to his completely clueless sister. Edward shook his head fondly, sharing an amused glance over the top of his Budweiser with his father.

"This is for you, Edward," Esme announced, drawing the attention of everyone in the garden. To be fair, it was hard to miss her. She was carrying a rather large wicker basket. There were flowers sticking out of one side of it and brightly coloured balloons tied to the other end.

"Damn, Jasper has one hell of a sense of humour," Ethan laughed, pointing at the balloons.

"It's not from Jasper," Esme told him, setting the basket in front of her youngest son. "The courier said it came from the UK."

No sooner had the word UK left Esme's mouth than Edward was yanking the card from her hands. At Esme's startled squeak he quickly apologised before ripping open the envelope.

Inside was a beautifully folded card with brightly coloured balloons decorating the front. The words, _Happy Birthday Edward_ were typed on each one.

 **Edward,**

 **I'm sorry I can't be with you today to help celebrate your birthday. I'm hoping this basket will help makeup for that.**

 **Enjoy your day.**

 **I'll be eagerly awaiting your drunken sexts.**

 **B.**

 **Xxx**

He read the card through three times before Ethan snatched it away.

The look that crossed Edward's face was positively murderous. "Give it back," he ordered, his voice dangerously calm.

"Who's B?" Ethan asked, a teasing lilt to his tone.

"None of your business," Edward replied, stalking towards his brother.

"She wants you to sext her, Edward. Shall I send her something filthy too?" Ethan may not have been aware of just how close his brother was to loosing his cool but Esme was. When he danced a fraction too close to his mother she deftly picked the card from between his fingers and handed it back to Edward.

"Ethan, sit down," she commanded, before turning her attention back to Edward. "And you, finish opening your gift."

Both boys huffed a little, their pride wounded for being put in their place by their mother, at their ages, before following her orders.

Edward pulled the basket closer to inspect its contents. On the one side, there was a large bunch of flowers, which he had to admit, were kind of girly. A sentiment his brother seemed to echo. Bella had included a small card with them that simply read, **Smell me.** It only took him one deep inhale to realise why she had included them. The different flower scents had mingled well together and smelled almost identical to the fragrance Bella had worn for their very first meeting. Suddenly the flowers didn't seem quite so lame any more.

The other side of the basket was filled with Galaxy chocolate bars, the ones Bella had introduced him to that night she had returned to him, with a small box buried underneath them. It had been wrapped perfectly in black paper with a small silver bow on top. He set the box aside to pull out the large bottle of Scotch Bella had finished the basket with. It was the one he had discovered in the UK and it was impossible to find State Side. Carlisle let out a whistle at the sight of it.

"You want a glass, Dad?" Edward asked. "I can promise this will be the best Scotch you've ever tasted."

"How can any guy turn that down?" Carlisle asked, already halfway to the kitchen for glasses.

Edward turned his attention back to the small wrapped box while he waited for his father to return. A quick shake revealed that nothing inside of it rattled. He felt a little guilty for the way he ripped the paper off in his haste to see what was inside. Bella clearly had better wrapping skills than he did. Or maybe she had someone who wrapped all of her gifts for her? He made a mental note to ask her that evening,

Inside the paper was a small, black leather box with the words _Mont Blanc_ inscribed on it. For a second, Edward internally cringed. Weren't _Mont Blanc_ the people who made those fancy pens? Had Bella sent him a pen for his birthday?

He gasped when he saw what was inside the box.

It definitely wasn't a pen.

"Holy shit," his sister exclaimed. She'd apparently moved closer, while he was unwrapping the gift, for a better look. "Who the fuck sent you a ten thousand dollar watch?"

"What?" Esme shrieked, her eyes darting from Angela, to the watch, and then to Edward.

Edward was too busy turning over the piece in his hands to hear what his mother and sister were saying. The band was made of thick, black leather that looked like it would be incredibly comfortable to wear. The face of the watch was also black and edged in silver giving it a modern and edgy look. And it had three extra, smaller faces that were a little confusing at first glance. As Edward looked back to the elegant box it had arrived in, he noticed another piece of parchment folded inside of it.

 **Hopefully now you'll never be late for a panel again.**

 **B.**

 **Xxx**

 **P.S It comes with a second time zone feature. I had it set to the UK before I wrapped it. Just incase.**

Edward laughed as he remembered the traffic jam that had caused him to be late for his first _ever_ convention panel. He had no idea how much would change that day.

He was only slightly aware of the way his family were staring at him as he pulled out his cell phone and hit dial on Bella's number. As he was waiting for her to answer the call, he slid the watch onto his left wrist.

It took Bella a little longer than usual to answer, and she sounded distracted when she finally did. "Hello?"

"Hey. I got your gifts." Edward couldn't keep the smile from his face if he tried. "It's too much," he told her, twisting the watch slightly.

"It's not. Trust me. In our family we usually give land for gifts. You got off lightly. I had the deed to Scotland here but I didn't think my father would approve." Bella giggled at her own joke and Edward couldn't help the dreamy sigh he let escape. It was quite possibly the cutest thing he'd ever heard.

"I miss you," he sighed into the phone.

"I miss you too," Bella admitted. "I'm sorry I've been so distracted by work recently."

"You don't need to apologise for that. I know how much you love your work. I should actually let you get back to it but I wanted to say thank you. For everything."

"You know, sexting is a good way of thanking someone." Edward could almost picture the way her brow would rise at those words. "Happy birthday, Edward. I'll talk to you later?"

"Skype? Same time as always?"

There was a muffled noise the other end of the line before Bella came back to him. "Sorry, my client is here. I have to go. Same time tonight, I promise."

She hung up before Edward could say anything else.

"Who is she?" Angela demanded, her hands fisted on her hips.

Edward's head snapped up and away from his phone. "I told you, I met someone while I was in the UK."

"Someone that sends you ten thousand dollar watches? I don't think so."

Edward sighed. His call with Bella had only made him realise how much he missed her. "What do you want me to say, Ang? She has money. More than I do. How she spends it is up to her. Now will you drop it, please? I really don't want a fight on my birthday."

"Agreed," Esme chimed in. "Now, who's ready for cake?"

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 **Thanks for reading.**


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